Morgan Healy, a Northern California native, Boston College student and Mormon has decided to put her college studies, social life, and life as she knows it in the US on hold as she serves an 18-month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Here is her journey...

Thursday, August 8, 2013

and.... I'M HALFWAY THROUGH MY TIME HERE AT THE MTC! Feeling extremely excited and nervous about that one. A quick update: two of the elders in our district go their visas this past week and headed off to finish their training at the Brazilian MTC. CRAZY. I'm hoping my visa comes before these next three weeks are done, but either way, even if I end up going somewhere in the united states before I leave for brazil, I know it's for the best!

SO, this week... my companion and I had the opportunity to go to the TRC. This was our first time and it was AWESOME! Prior to this, our two teachers, Brother Buttars and Brother Nothumb (I know GREAT names), have acted as fake people who are interested in learning more about the church. They take on the role of a "particular" person and that "investigator" is the one that we teach lessons to. Well this past week, we got to teach REAL PEOPLE. I was a little nervous going in, mainly because I didn't feel that prepared with my Portuguese, but it went great. The two people we taught are both Mormon already, but we still go to share with them a message. We had a GREAT lesson with one of the guys, named Nathan. We started our conversation just getting to know him, but then bluntly asked if there was anything he was having a hard time with or wanted to talk to us about. He paused for a second and then went on to tell us about how his 18 year old sister was going through a really difficult time. We gave him all the advice that we felt prompted to and told him that we knew things would work out in time. At the end of that lesson it was amazing to see the change in him and it was amazing how I felt! He seemed reassured by the things that we had told him and I was ECSTATIC... I MEAN HE'S A REAL PERSON with real issues. It was great.

What else... the food is still the same... the weather is nice and warm... and OH YEAH, on sunday we had what's called a fasting testimony meeting. Which means that prior to the church service you fast (restrain from eating or drinking anything for 24 hours). You can fast for a concern you have about a person or about yourself, or for a trial your having. Anything that you think God can help you with. Anyway, at the testimony meeting, I went up and shared my feelings about the gospel. I seriously shot up like a bullet as soon as they announced that people could bear their testimonies. Other than a few conjugation mess ups it went well! And at the end of the meeting our District President told me that I did phenomenally with my Portuguese. GREATEST COMPLIMENT EVER.

I miss you all a lot, but am so excited to serve the people of Brazil! No extremely funny stories have come to mind, but I'll just end with a slightly awkward experience I had. So, everyday after lunch slips and letters are dropped off in the classroom and I was super excited when I got a slip to pick up a package. Long story short as I was walking out of the building to pick up my package I ran into a glass door and fell over. YUP. THAT HAPPENED. TOOO many other stories like that to share haha Love you all! HAVE A GREAT WEEK:)

"some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them"